Sunday 31 March 2013

Happy Easter!

Image taken from Tumblr



Happy Easter! That's if you celebrate it. To be honest, I won't be celebrating Easter too much because as of yet, I'm consumed four Easter eggs - what diet? Oops. But you know, when an Easter egg is £1 and a bar of chocolate is 80p, it's obvious which option you're going to choose. So yes, this is just a quick blog post as I don't usually blog on Sundays as I have work - bank holiday, day off, love you Jesus - but I hope you have a lovely day :)
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday 30 March 2013

Instagram [3]


















Watching 3D TV with my grandad | Ice cream van! | The bag of pasta was bigger than my head | Watching the Big Reunion on Thursday | Geek night | Reunited with my beautiful cat | Just bought the best CD in the world | Posing, my hair looks so short | The best part of my Sunday working at Boots, the meal deal | Being a gangster with my step brother | More ice creams | Posing in my playsuit | Reombred my hair | Watching Kevin & Perry Go Large after scaring ourselves with Paranormal Activity 4 | Oh it's been a posing week | My grandma has an iPad Touch and I don't | Me when I was younger | The snow back home in Mansfield
As you probably know, I'm back home! I haven't been home since returning to university in January so it's lovely to be back. I love university so much but sometimes it's nice to just go back home and be a kid again. To be honest, I haven't really done much, just catching up with family and going out for a few meals which has been of course, really nice. On Sunday I'm going round to one of my school friends house which is going to be amazing. I haven't seen my school friends in two years (at least, some I haven't seen in four years) and it's going to be so good catching up with them. I love my uni friends but there are some memories that I can't share with them. My school friends grew up with me and they know me better than anyone. So laughing at old memories over wine with them will be something special. I guess that's really it for this week. I'm going back through my photo archive when it comes to reviews as there are a few products that I adore but simply haven't blogged about them yet. So you can look forward to that, maybe. I hope you've all had a lovely week!
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Friday 29 March 2013

Smoky gold eye of the day


























I was thinking about what to post today as being back home means that I'm limited in what I post about due to taking pictures/having products with me etc. So I was scanning my photo archive and I saw these photos of an eye make up look I did for Valentine's Day. I really ended up liking how this turned out - especially the winged liner - but for some reason, I never posted it. I'm guessing it's because February was hectic and as soon as I got the news that I'd be meeting the Spice Girls, everything I'd planned and scheduled ended up being pushed back. But anyway, I used Urban Decay's Half Baked all over the lid and underneath the eye and added a little bit of Urban Decay's Buck into the crease to contour. To create a more shimmery look I then added a tiny bit of Half Baked on top of Buck and blended them together. I used my trusty Collection 2000 Felt Tip Liner to wing my eyeliner and Lancome's Le Crayon Khol on my waterline. To complete the look I used Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara and Urban Decay's Sin to highlight. It didn't take long and it's pretty simple yet I believe it's perfect for both a daytime look and an evening look.
What do you think? What is your favourite eye combination?
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thursday 28 March 2013

Room Tour

My bedside table with IKEA candle, vase, flower and Argos jewellery box
My bookshelf! Which is your favourite book?
My bookshelf, coat stand, mirror, futon (with Simba, cat and Femme Fatale tour book) and photoframe

My desk and soon to be make up storage area, bed, wall decoration and cupboard

Bed, bedside table, wardrobe (with PiƱata and bear, rug and window with curtains and flowers in vases
I posted a photo on Instagram the other day of my bedroom and it got me thinking; "I've never actually posted any pictures of my new bedroom on my blog." For Christmas, I got my bedroom re-decorated. Before this, it was bright pink and purple and covered in all things High School Musical and Hannah Montana. And finally, I wanted a "grown up" bedroom. So my dad and stepmum worked their magic whilst I was away at university and on Christmas day, I walked into a completely transformed room. My room is huge - it's the biggest room in the house and I wanted to stick with the pink/purple theme considering they're my favourite colours but I wanted the walls to predominantly be white. There isn't much stuff in my bedroom back at home at the minute because I live mostly at university so when I come home, I only bring select things back. So therefore I can't show you a make up collection because I don't have one, I just have a bag. That's one thing that I'm going to have to buy after university - some drawers for my make up/beauty collection. I've already got my eye on a few things from IKEA that will make sure my make up storage is pretty and stays within the theme of my room. So there you have it, that's my bedroom at home. I hope that you like it.
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wednesday 27 March 2013

HAUL: Boux Avenue
































In case you didn't know, a while back I won a Boux Avenue competition and for winning, I received a £250 gift card*. Before I get into this post I'd just like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me. I really do appreciate it. I've been umm-ing and ahh-ing about writing this post for a while now - mainly because a lot of the items I bought with my gift card were underwear items and after all, blogging about my underwear is a little bit weird. But I've been using/wearing the items for a while now so I thought I'd do a little "summary" post about the brand itself, my experience with them and what I ended up buying. So, although my gift card came loaded with £250 on it, I actually only ended up spending £236 of it. This was because I thought I'd leave a little bit on there for the next time I go to Meadowhall so I can treat myself again. I actually ended up getting a lot of items from the online store. I bought myself five bras (12345), eleven pairs of knickers (1234567 x3, 89), a hot water bottle, some hand cream, a nightshirt, a chiffon wrap, a night playsuit (now out of stock) and six further pairs of knickers for my friends. I was very impressed by the delivery from Boux Avenue - my items arrived two days after I'd ordered them and the delivery was free (as I'd spent over a certain amount of money). The items came packaged, as you can tell, beautifully and the whole box smelt lovely too. The quality of the items are just outstanding. The bras and knickers are incredibly comfy and fit perfectly. Overall, I can't recommend this brand enough. It's luxurious, beautiful and womanly. You can view their website here.
Have you tried anything from Boux Avenue before?
xxx
* The gift card was given to me free of charge for winning a competition however, I have not been compensated for writing this blog post nor was I even asked to write one.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday 26 March 2013

HAUL: Boots 3 for 2 Make Up




























If you don't know already then apart from assignments and exams, I've finished my second year at university. So as it's Easter (and I don't have work on Sunday) I've decided to come back home for a few days to catch up with family and friends. Also, you might notice that these pictures have been taken on a different background. This is just because I haven't brought the wallpaper I use at university back home with me. This is the wallpaper that I currently have on my bedroom wall so I thought I'd use it. Do you prefer this? Anyway, when I got home I saw that I had a few vouchers from Boots and when I looked at them, I was pretty excited as one of them enabled you to get SEVENTEEN's latest mascara "Dolld Up" for just £2. Knowing that all make up is currently on 3 for 2 and realising that I was in desperate need of a top up of my favourite concealer and eyeliner, I rushed into Boots to pick a few things up. So as you guessed, the first thing I got was the SEVENTEEN Doll'd Up Mascara which retails for £6.29. This comes with a plastic brush and it aims to curl and volumise your lashes without clumping them. I'm yet to try this out but once I have done, I will report back to you. I also bought another tube of my favourite concealer, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer. I'm sure that you've all heard about this before but it really is wonderful. It provides last lasting flawless coverage and it doesn't break the bank either. I then went to look for SEVENTEEN's Liquid Liner and found that they'd discontinued it so instead, I bought the SEVENTEEN Semi Permanent Liquid Eyeliner Tattoo Me. The brush is a little bit smaller than I'd have liked but like the mascara, I'll let you know what I think about it after I've used it. This mini haul should've come to £15.47 but with my staff discount, the 3 for 2 and my voucher is came to just £5.42 - bargain considering the mascara retails for more than that price alone.
Have you bought anything from Boots current 3 for 2 offer?
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Monday 25 March 2013

REVIEW: KIKO Colour Party Palette in Holi Vibrations


























As you may or may not know, I've recently been trying out the KIKO Limited Edition Spring Collection and for today's post, I'm going to be speaking about their Colour Party Palette Wet and Dry Eyeshadow in 04 Holi Vibrations*. I'm not the most experimental person when it comes to eyeshadows so when I first opened this palette up, I was a little bit scared about the blue and purple shades. However, I definitely did immediately fall in love with neutral colours. You see, that's the thing with this palette - it caters to everyone. Whether you're someone who braves colour or sticks to what they know, this palette is suitable for you. If you are like me and you stick to neutrals then it's always good to have something else there that you can experiment with if you feel like you need to. For me personally, I love the purple shade in this palette. It really emphasises my green eyes and it's wonderful underneath the eyes. Also, the blue shades make incredible eyeliners if you're after a "pop" of colour. And that's the great thing about this palette. It's versatile as the shadows can be used wet or dry. The swatches above are the shadows used dry so you can imagine how intense they are when you use a wet brush. The pigmentation, longevity and blendabilty of these shadows are on par with Urban Decay. So yes, I was scared at first but now I'll hold my hands up say... I love this palette. This palette retails for £16.90 and you find out more information/purchase it here. The limited edition Spring palette also comes in three other styles: Peach Lake; Generous Earth and Rainbow Cake.
xxx
*PR Sample
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday 23 March 2013

Instagram [2]

Me & my friend on a night out | I burnt my Yorkshire Puddings | An old photo from back in school | The coolest self checkouts, ever | Me and my sister on a night out | Standing in the cold on Monday night watching the football | Me and my friend on a night out | Jenga, trivia and willy straws, pre-drinks | Drunk friends | The photos I took made it into the newspaper.














Me and my sister when we were younger | Britney Spears looking beautiful | An old photo of me chilling with my cat | Friends with Benefits | An old photo of me and my sister and two step brothers | Crossroads | Natural me, my skin is getting better | Effaclar Duo and Dermablend | Selfie | The snow back home.

I am still loving Instagram. In case you didn't know, I'm going to be making this a weekly feature - either every Saturday or Sunday - as I'm just addicted. You can see my first post here. It's been a strange week. It's our last week at university before Easter and for me, the last week of lessons. I still have assignments and exams but I won't be attending any lectures/workshops. Which is scary. Because this is my second year. And we're already handing in ideas for our dissertations. I don't want it to be over. It's also my sisters last year which for me, is awful. We're at the same university and we're ridiculously close. We have mutual friends and it's going to be so weird without her. I spent Tuesday night reading her dissertation and it took three whole hours as it was that long. Incredibly proud of her though. In Lincoln we haven't had much snow. In fact, there's barely any snow. But back home in Mansfield it's been covered - as you can see from the photo. Me and my sister were supposed to be going home today for our stepbrothers 18th however we can't because the snow is that bad back home! How have your weeks been?
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Friday 22 March 2013

My pamper day


























On Sunday, I had a day off work. And to be honest, I was lost. If you don't know where I work then I shall tell you. I work at Boots. A beauty blogger's heaven. I love going to work every Sunday and spending my entire day surrounded by beauty products. It's bad for my spending habits but great for my mind - I guess. So as I mentioned on my day off, I felt a little bit lost. So lost that I decided to spend the entire day pampering myself. I used a lot of products and I'm not going to talk about them in too much detail considering I've mentioned most at least once on my blog. But I shall link to past reviews of the products.
In the shower I started off with my Charles Worthington Daily Defence Salon Results Shampoo. This shampoo is a great daily shampoo that leaves my hear looking volumised and feeling silky smooth. I then applied my Umberto Giannini Incredible Body Plump Up Volumising Mask for Big Hair* (reviewed here) to the roots of my hair and my Tresemme Keratin Smooth Deep Treatment Masque (reviewed here) to the ends of my hair. Using both of these masques together adds volume at the roots and smooths down my ends - a perfect combination. Whilst waiting for these to work their magic, I went on to use my EOS Vanilla Bliss Shave Cream* (reviewed here). A shaving cream isn't the most glamourous of pampering products however this beautiful shaving cream sure does help. It smells amazing and does a great job. I then went on to use my Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub all over my body to exfoliate. After this - and after washing out the masques in my hair - I used my Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash (reviewed here) all over my skin to cleanse, moisturise and make it smell nice. After getting out of the shower, I used my Superfacialist Rose Miracle Makeover Facial Oil* (reviewed here) to pre-cleanse my skin and get it super clean. I then cleansed my skin with my trusty Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish* (reviewed here). I love this cleanser, it's my favourite but I only use it on special occasions. After this, I applied one of my favourite face masks, the Superfacialist Neroli Lifting Treatment Mask* (reviewed here) and then went on to moisturise my body. I did this using my No7 Cocooning Body Balm* (reviewed here) which smells amazing and leaves the skin incredibly nourished without leaving residue. After removing my face mask, I finished off by moisturising my hands with the beautiful Boux Avenue Pink Taffeta Hand Cream which smells incredible. 
Phew. That's a lot of products. But it definitely was worth it. What products do you use to pamper yourself with?
xxx
*PR Sample
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wednesday 20 March 2013

HELP!

Hi girls!
Just a quick post to ask for your help again, if that's okay? I'm currently winning the InLoveWithFashion competition but literally by a few votes. If you have a spare 2 seconds would you be able to "like" this photo please? I'm in desperate need of clothes since losing weight and this would be the perfect opportunity. If you do click the "like" button on the photo then you will receive an extra five entries in my Magazine Subscription Giveaway so make sure you mark it down on the Rafflecopter form.
That's all. And if you click "like" then thank you. I really appreciate it.
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

REVIEW: ChapStick Lipsations Shimmer


When you see my lip balm collection, I don't think there's any doubting my addiction. There's something so satisfying about throwing a new lip balm into your bag and keeping your lips hydrated throughout the day. And there's something even more satisfying about that lip balm providing a pop of colour and a little bit of shimmer. The original (I think) and the best, ChapStick have released a new range of lip balms; ChapStick Lipsations Shimmer. This new duo aims to provides a combination of "moisture, softness and protection with a beautiful pearlescent shine." These lip balms come in two flavours, Berry* and Tropical* and they have 10 different moisturisers to help keep lips looking healthy and feeling soft. ChapStick also recommend using the lip balms as a top coat to your lipstick to give it an extra shine and radiant. I've been using these for a few days now and I adore them; especially the Tropical taste but tastes like coconut. They're really good at keeping the lips hydrated without leaving behind any nasty residue. They also, of course, taste and smile nice and leave a little sheen on the lips to add something else. You can see from the swatches below how shiny - but not chunky - it leaves your lips.
The lip balms are available from Superdrug and they retail for £1.99. You can also "like" ChapStick on Facebook.
What are your favourite lip balms? Have you tried these out?
xxx
*PR Sample
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday 19 March 2013

POLYVORE: Basic T-Shirts

Basic T-Shirts


Since losing weight. I've become obsessed with basic t-shirts. I tend to buy them a size bigger so that they're slouchy and oversized - to me, they look and feel more comfortable. The t-shirts above are my favourites at the moment. I'd wear them all with disco pants or jeans. They're very easy to throw on when going shopping or attending a lecture. On the subject of fashion, make sure you check out my Celeb Style: Selena Gomez post for the e-tailPR blog and let me know what you think. Also, let me know if you like these Polyvore posts. I sure do enjoy making them and I seem to get positive feedback about them on Twitter.
Which t-shirt is your favourite? Do you like these kind of posts?
xxx
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Monday 18 March 2013

I've been shortlisted!

Hi girlies :) and guys if any of you read my blog...
Just a quick post to let you know that I've been shortlisted in the In Love With Fashion competition. And I'm in desperate need of new clothes so I'm going to be whoring this competition out haha. You can vote for my entry here by clicking the "like" button. If you do then make sure you let me know on my giveaway Rafflecopter form as it'll earn you FIVE extra entries!
Thank you!
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FAVOURITE: Face Masks


























There's nothing like giving your skin a little pamper every now and then. I tend to do this twice a week when I'm feeling a little bit stressed out and it's showing in my skin. I have a variety of face masks that all do different things. My skin is combination which means that at times it can be really oily and other times it can be extremely dry. So I like a mixture of face masks that I can quickly grab depending on my skin needs.

This is probably my least favourite mask out of them all. Not because it's bad; it's not. But just because I have so many clay masks and they all tend to do the same thing. They draw impurities out of the pores, refine the pores, clear the skin of dirt and excessive oils and help with breakouts. The reason that this one is different though is because it contains avocado oil rich in Vitamins A, D and E with Acacia Honey which means that this face mask doesn't leave the skin feeling tight and dry afterwards. It balances my combination skin perfectly leaving me shine-free but nourished.
This is another clay mask. It contains Witch Hazel which clarifies, tones and helps to banish blemishes. This mask also contains Rose Geranium oil to soothe the skin and certified organic Rosehip oil to nourish the skin so like the mask mentioned about, it also balances and moisturises the skin at the same time as purifying and clarifying it.
This is a wonder mask. It's an exfoliating mask that smells like oranges. What's not to love? It contains Vitamin C and superfruit extracts of Pomegranate and Goji which all work together to clean away dirt and pollutants from the surface of the skin. After I've washed this off, my skin looks fresher, cleaner and brighter. I'd compare it to the Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask but for a third of the price. They're not the same consistency - the Liz Earle isn't exfoliating - but the end results are exactly the same.
If you follow me on Twitter then you'll know that yesterday I posted a picture of a reaction I'd had to this face mask. I'd just like to say that my skin just ended up red for a little while. It didn't irritate my skin in anyway whatsoever and this is one of my favourite face masks. It's deeply hydrating and contains Hyaluronic Acid which is known for its ability to retain water and stimulate collagen. The consistency of this mask is strange - it's a gel formula. After I've washed this off my skin is left glowing with radiance and it looks and feels healthy.
If you know me then you'll know that I hate the smell of rose. However, the rose in this mask is subtle and I really like it. When my skin reacted badly to the Dior serum, I used this and the Rose Cleanser to calm my skin down. Whenever I break out, my skin ends up being really painful. And when I reacted my skin was so bad that I couldn't lie down. This calmed my skin and whenever my skin was feeling really painful, I'd apply this and it'd be soothed instantly. It contains White Willow extract which enhances skin cell turnover, Vitamin E and Urea with soothing Marshmallow extract which hydrates, plumps and replenishes skin.

So as you can see, I'm obsessed with the Superfacialist range. It's quickly becoming one of my favourite skin care brands. I'd also love to try out some acid face masks so leave me your recommendations in the comments if you have any. What are your favourite face masks?
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday 17 March 2013

Instagram [1]























Mollie King's Cosmopolitan interview; "A guy should feel lucky to have you" (words to live by), my cat, before a night out, Justin Bieber Believe Tour, a very old photo of when I first moved into university in 2011, my Boots & No7 badge, a good make up day, 1D and tea, after getting my hair done by Matthew Curtis, bored in a lecture, Easter is soon, Models Own Neon Nail Polish, before meeting the Spice Girls, pamper session, before meeting the Spice Girls again.

I've become obsessed with Instagram. My beloved Blackberry randomly broke on me the other day. I left my flat, got in a taxi, checked my phone in the taxi and it my phone was completely dead, very strange. So it's currently at Orange getting fixed. I now have a new phone - well, it's my mum's old phone - and I'm preferring it to my Blackberry. So even when my Blackberry comes back, I'll probably be keeping this one. The biggest benefit of having this phone is the fact that I can now Instagram. For a few months (maybe years?!) I've been sad because I haven't been able to join in Instagramming and I get upset when I see all of your guys' pretty Instagrams on my Twitter timeline. So now I'm so happy I can join in. I'm addicted though and to get up to speed with those who have been Instagramming for ages I've been posting new (and a few older) photos. You can check out my Instagram (and follow me if you like) here.
Leave me your Instragram's in a comment below or tweet me them and I'll be sure to hit the follow button.
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GIVEAWAY: 10 Magazine Subscriptions


As you know, my Imperial Leather giveaway has now ended (and I've announced the winner on Twitter). So it's only fair that I open another giveaway for you all. And this time, it's a really exciting one. I love magazines. I've been reading them ever since I can remember; Animals & You, Top of the Pops, Smash Hits, Mizz, Sugar, Bliss, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, More, Look, etc. Heck, I'm even studying journalism at university in the hope of being able to write for one. So this week I've teamed up with Zinio and we're going to be giving away 10 (yes, 10) Zinio Digital Magazine subscriptions. At the moment, Zinio are offering up to 50% off of selected titles. You can view these here. I'm extremely tempted by Allure. I've read wonderful things about this magazine (and Mila Kunis is screaming, "buy me Jemma.") So to be in with a chance of winning one of these magazine subscriptions, all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
xxx
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday 16 March 2013

REVIEW: Emobox












































































One of the greatest things about being in education is buying new stationary. There's something spectacular about the feel of a new pen, a stylish notebook and now, a beautiful USB device. Emobox have unveiled their new and unique USB devices which have been disguised as watchers, necklaces, bracelets and my choice, credit cards. These have been inspired by fashion, beauty, entertainment and celebrities. Embox is a brand that was created around the idea that technology doesn't have to be boring and geeky. My previous USB sticks consist of black, red, boring and until recently (but it broke) an owl. 
Sheefa Fijiwala, founder of Emobox said: "We passionately believe that technology shouldn't be boring or geeky - it can be cool and quirky, practical and fashionable. Inspired by this and the onset of technology on the go, we have created a truly unique collection of storage devices that are born to be flaunted and slip seamlessly into everyday life. Whether you're toting your bag about town, going from office to bar or hanging out with friends, our fresh new take on wearable technology means your dinky data device goes where you go, safely, securely and stylishly 24/7."
I was lucky enough to be sent their Chanel Credit Card 8GB USB device* and I've been using it for over a month now. I absolutely love it. It fits into my purse perfectly and looks so stylish and classy. I'm someone who often forgets their USB stick so having it in my purse constantly has been a big help for me. I've received many compliments over this since getting it and I use it all the time. They have a variety of different USB device designs and you can check them out here. You're guaranteed to find something that you love.
xxx
*PR Sample
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Friday 15 March 2013

POLYVORE: Cat wishlist

Cat wishlist



I love cats. There's no doubting that. And I'm loving all of the cat clothing that's making its way onto the high street at the minute. So I thought I'd compile a Polyvore wishlist with all of the cat clothing I'm currently lusting over - oh student loan, I do wish you'd hurry up! I'm in desperate need of the Topshop and Dorothy Perkins jumpers, the River Island skirt and the New Look tshirt. What do you think about the cat clothing trend? Do you love cats? Post your favourite cat items below.
xxx
____________________________________________________________________________________________________